Lesson 167: からというもの・を皮切りに・を限りに

N1 · Lesson 167 · 18 min — Talk about life-changing moments, things that unfold one after another, and stopping on a set day: big news at くまや

Last lesson, Rin jumped for joy when he read the letter from the ward office. This lesson has three ways to draw a line at a point in time: から というもの (ever since then), を 皮切かわきりに (starting here, one thing after another), and を 限かぎりに (up to here, and no more). Comic first!

After this lesson, you can:

• Use V-te + から というもの to say "ever since ~, I have kept ~": 日本にほんに 来きてから というもの、毎日まいにち ここに 来きて いる
• Use N を 皮切かわきりに to say "starting with ~, then one thing after another": 谷中やなかを 皮切かわきりに、ツアーは 全国ぜんこくへ
• Use N を 限かぎりに to say "up to ~, and no more after that": 三月さんがつを 限かぎりに、この 店みせを 閉しめる

Is くまや moving?

Last lesson, the ward interview was set! Rin ran to くまや with the good news. (皮切かわきり = the start, 限かぎり = limit, 計画けいかく = plan, 移うつる = move over, おやつ = snack)

から というもの = ever since; を 皮切かわきりに = starting with this; を 限かぎりに = up to this, and no more. Mr. Kuma is not closing. He wants to move くまや in front of the promised cherry tree and protect that tree together. He will present this plan at the ward interview...

Words for this lesson: turning points, chains of events, and endings

• 〜てから というもの (te kara to iu mono): ever since ~, (and still) ~
• 〜を 皮切かわきりに (o kawakiri ni): starting with ~, then (one after another) ~
• 〜を 限かぎりに (o kagiri ni): up to ~ (the limit), and no more after that
• 全国ぜんこく (zenkoku): the whole country, nationwide
• 通とおる (tōru): (a plan or proposal) gets approved
• 閉しめる (shimeru): close (a door); close down a shop
• おやつ (oyatsu): snack, treat
• 各地かくち (kakuchi): various places, every region
• 次々つぎつぎに (tsugitsugi ni): one after another
• 電話でんわが かかって くる (denwa ga kakatte kuru): a phone call comes in
• 今回こんかい (konkai): this time
• 今月こんげつ (kongetsu): this month
• 今年ことし (kotoshi): this year
• 引退いんたいする (intai suru): retirement (of an athlete, etc.)
• コンサート (konsāto): concert
• お祝いわい (oiwai): celebration, congratulations
• 行おこなう (okonau): hold, carry out
• 祭まつり (matsuri): festival
• 試合しあい (shiai): match, game
• ダイエット (daietto): diet (to lose weight)

Grammar 1 / 3: からというもの

V-te form + から というもの = ever since ~, (and still) ~: one event changed your life, and a state has continued since that day. 日本にほんに 来きてから というもの、毎日まいにち ここに 来きて いる = Ever since I came to Japan, I come here every day.

• Form: V-te form + から というもの: Change the verb to te-form, then add から というもの: 来きてから というもの, 住すんでから というもの, 読よんでから というもの. You cannot use the ta-form (来きたから というもの ✗).
• Meaning: ever since ~, (and still) ~: Before it is an event that changed your life (coming to Japan, moving, reading a letter). After it is a state that has lasted since that day. It often carries the feeling "everything has been different since then."
• Followed by an ongoing state or a change: Often used with ずっと, 毎日まいにち, ～て いる, ～ように なった. A one-time action (すぐ 寝ねた) does not work. For that, plain てから is enough.
• Compare with て以来いらい and てから: て以来いらい, which you learned before, also means "ever since ~" but sounds more neutral. から というもの is more emotional and is often used for changes in your own life. てから just means "do ~, and then ~" in order.

• 日本にほんに 来きてから というもの、毎日まいにち ここに 来きて いる。 — Ever since I came to Japan, I come here every day.
• この 町まちに 住すんでから というもの、早はやく 起おきる ように なった。 — Ever since I moved to this area, I've become an early riser.
• あの 手紙てがみを 読よんでから というもの、リンは 日本語にほんごを 勉強べんきょうし続つづけて いる。 — Ever since reading the letter from the ward office, Rin has been studying Japanese non-stop.
• ねこが 来きてから というもの、家いえが にぎやかに なった。 — Ever since a cat came to our home, the house has become so lively.
• ねこ先生せんせいは ケーキの 味あじを 知しってから というもの、毎日まいにち 三みっつ 食たべて いる。 — Ever since Neko-sensei found out how cake tastes, he eats three every day.

Grammar 2 / 3: をかわきりに

N + を 皮切かわきりに = starting with ~, then one thing after another: before it is the first stop, after it is a chain of growing developments. 谷中やなかを 皮切かわきりに、ツアーは 全国ぜんこくへ 広ひろがった = Starting with Yanaka, the tours spread nationwide.

• Form: N + を 皮切かわきりに: Add を 皮切かわきりに straight after a noun: 谷中やなかを 皮切かわきりに, 東京とうきょうを 皮切かわきりに. You cannot drop the を.
• Meaning: starting with ~, then one after another ~: 皮切かわきり originally meant the first moxa burn in moxibustion (a heat treatment), which stings like a cut. It later came to mean "the start, the first one." Before it is the first stop, first show, or first call. After it are things that keep unfolding one after another.
• After it comes a "growing development": Often used with 次々つぎつぎに, 全国ぜんこくへ, 各地かくちで, 広ひろがる. Common for events, tours, business, and news. Do not use it for small daily steps (breakfast → brushing teeth). Plain てから is enough there.
• Compare with をはじめ and をきっかけに: をはじめ means "led by ~" (a representative example): 東京とうきょうをはじめ、大阪おおさかや 京都きょうとも. をきっかけに means "starting to change because of ~ (a trigger)." を 皮切かわきりに stresses "starting here, one after another."

• 谷中やなかを 皮切かわきりに、ツアーは 全国ぜんこくへ 広ひろがった。 — Starting with Yanaka, the tours spread nationwide.
• 東京とうきょうを 皮切かわきりに、全国ぜんこくで コンサートを 開ひらく。 — Starting with Tokyo, they will hold concerts all over the country.
• 熊太くまたくんの 電話でんわを 皮切かわきりに、次々つぎつぎに お祝いわいの 電話でんわが かかって きた。 — Starting with that call from Kumata, congratulatory calls kept coming, one after another.
• この 店みせを 皮切かわきりに、町まちに 新あたらしい 店みせが 次々つぎつぎに できた。 — Starting with this shop, several new shops opened one after another on this street.

Grammar 3 / 3: をかぎりに

N + を 限かぎりに = up to ~, and no more after that: before it is "the last day or last time," after it is an ending or a stop. 三月さんがつを 限かぎりに、この 店みせを 閉しめる = We open until March, and after that we close this shop.

• Form: N + を 限かぎりに: Put a time or occasion that means "the last" before it: 今日きょう, 今月こんげつ, 三月さんがつ, 今年ことし, 今回こんかいの 試合しあい. Then add a comma and say what will end.
• Meaning: up to ~, and no more after that: The speaker draws a line at that day: it goes on until then, and stops after. Common in notices, announcements, and formal situations.
• Followed by an end or a stop: Often used with やめる, 閉しめる, 引退いんたいする, ～なく なる. You cannot use を 限かぎりに for "start doing ~." Use から: 今日きょうから 始はじめる.
• Don't mix it up with the 限かぎり you learned before: The ～限かぎり you learned before means "as long as ~": 足あしが 動うごく 限かぎり、行いく. In this lesson, を 限かぎりに comes after a noun plus を and means "up to ~." Same word, different use!

• 三月さんがつを 限かぎりに、この 店みせを 閉しめる。 — We're open until March, and after that we'll close this shop.
• 今日きょうを 限かぎりに、おやつを やめます。 — As of today, I'm giving up snacks.
• 今回こんかいの 試合しあいを 限かぎりに、引退いんたいします。 — This match is my last one. After this, I will retire.
• 今月こんげつを 限かぎりに、この バスは 走はしらなく なる。 — This bus runs only until this month, and then it stops running.